


Dress code

by withered



Series: Who's been lovin' you good? [62]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Fanboy Bucky Barnes, M/M, Matchmaker Shuri, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Not lab safety approved, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony and his many masks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25487746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withered/pseuds/withered
Summary: Basic lab and workshop safety dictates protective goggles and clothing, but when Tony can bend the rules, he does.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Who's been lovin' you good? [62]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/918138
Comments: 102
Kudos: 1008





	Dress code

**Author's Note:**

  * For [obsessive_trash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessive_trash/gifts).



> For obsessive_trash on tumblr who decided to slide into my asks with an interesting outfit choice for Tony.

Basic lab and workshop safety dictates protective goggles and clothing, but when Tony can bend the rules, he does.

It’s partly because, after the bunker, Extremis was pumped into his veins and he’s now, against his will, indestructible, and isn’t a hundred percent cool with it. But really, the actual reason for his flippant approach to basic safety standards is for the look on Bucky’s face when he’s expected to be in for his weekly maintenance session.

It’s not really necessary. Shuri isn’t the type to make anything that would require regular sessions, but well, Tony’s not really complaining.

At least now he wasn’t.

When Bucky had first arrived, Tony ranted and raved about the weekly checks Bucky’s arm needed, loudly and often, but Shuri, who has sat through endlessly boring meetings with dignitaries since she was in diapers, had the stamina for it and the kind of unimpressed expression only royalty could master. Tony never stood a chance.

And Bucky, as a result, wouldn’t either.

Because see, Tony isn’t upset that he’s being forced to make nice with his mother’s killer. That’s. For therapy. And BARF. And about a dozen other healthier coping mechanisms to deal with. No. Tony’s annoyed because Bucky’s been flustered and embarrassed and is always _really really sorry_ for being an inconvenience, and Tony doesn’t know how to deal with it.

So, he doesn’t.

He acts like a little shit because that’s his default setting, and turns up his personality to feign as much nonchalance over the whole situation as possible.

At first it’s with the fancy suits, the impressive tech and the busy schedule all rolled up in a confident swagger and a quip served on a silver tongue.

Bucky seems to like it in the way his eyes widen and his cheeks flush a little darker.

Tony's not going to lie, he knows it's a good look on him. The showman mask of Tony Stark is glamorous and flattering until it isn’t. Until it rubs wrong and rings of arrogance and breeds resentment because that’s what always happens, that’s what everyone thinks eventually.

Bucky is not everyone.

In fact, his apologies for the inconvenience he’s causing Tony get more earnest, and it makes Tony’s skin fit wrong when Bucky starts asking very seriously if Tony’s taking care of himself properly, what with all of Tony’s other commitments, “I don’t want to put you out, the arm can wait, really. I don’t want to be a bother. Have you eaten yet? I can get you something. When was the last time you rested because there’s really no rush on the arm, we can reschedule, I don’t mind.”

And not enough people care to care about Tony when he’s got that particular mask on that Tony can’t maintain it. Not in the face of Bucky’s sincerity and genuine concern.

Tony still thinks it’s some kind of ploy though so he turns to Plan B: He gets comfortable.

The suits are exchanged for well-worn jeans and band t-shirts with the occasional tank top. The only product in his hair is engine grease, and he doesn’t bother to hide the dangerous gleam in his eye when he gets really caught up in his work. He looks exactly the part of the manic genius he is, and waits for Bucky’s concern to morph into hesitation and then annoyance because _Tony doesn’t have the time or consideration for the trivial matters of mortals_.

What he gets though is a softened expression, a tenderness that causes an answering ache in Tony's chest.

Because like this, Bucky actually _sees_ him, and for whatever reason, Bucky is _grateful_.

It makes something hurt in Tony's throat, makes his heart feel like it's caught in someone's fist (probably Bucky's), so Tony takes to teasing and making off color jokes and saying things he’d usually only ever say to the bots and Rhodey.

Bucky, to Tony’s continued surprise, is entertained and amused, and to Tony’s horror, very similar in his humor if more charming and polite about it. That Bucky remains persistently thoughtful about Tony’s general well-being is particularly awe-inspiring considering how many people in his life have come to just brush his disregard to his health as an eccentricity. Not that Tony has much time for that thought when he’s still caught up on how it shouldn’t be so attractive to him that Bucky gets his sarcasm and wit, and how the considering look in Bucky’s eyes never seems to falter, only glint a little differently as if the understanding is clearing the assumptions of who Tony pretends to be away, with every new side to himself Tony reveals to him.

But all of it -- Bucky’s interest, Bucky’s care -- is tugging at something Tony hasn’t given himself time or emotions to consider since Pepper, and Tony really does have the worst luck.

When he complains to Shuri – because she brought Bucky to his doorstep so clearly she is to blame – the princess gets a look in her eye, and says smugly, “I knew you two would get along.”

“What makes you say that?” Tony scoffs to hide the little bubble of hope that’s risen in his chest like a hiccup.

“Well,” she says, casual as ever, “he hadn’t stopped talking about you ever since I introduced him to the internet about a week after the defrost. Which obviously meant I had to make sure he didn't trail after you like some lovelorn Elon Musk fanboy when he moved to the States. It's why I asked you to do the routine check-ups on the arm."

"You did that on purpose," Tony accuses which she answers with the most disrespectful _uh, duh_ face that makes Tony feel personally attacked even if Shuri has all but admitted to trying to match-make two grown men. His glare is loud and clear, and she sighs, feigning regret.

"I'm sorry you two suck at having love lives."

"I hate you."

She smirks. "That won't stop me from coming to the wedding."

And while that was many levels of embarrassing, the conversation was certainly. Enlightening. After all, Bucky being interested in Tony is quite the revelation. A revelation worthy of scientific inquiry. Something Tony is more than happy to probe at if Bucky is amenable to a collaboration in their shared. Interest.

But they don’t get a chance, unfortunately.

The Rogues come back, and Rogers is determined to draw battle lines with Bucky firmly behind his regardless of Bucky’s opinion on the matter.

Bucky, for his part, seems resigned to Rogers’ attentions and mostly ignores him, though he tenses when Rogers invites himself to Bucky’s check-ups.

For the next few weeks, just as when Bucky and Tony were first starting their appoinments, Tony finds himself donning armor again: suits perfectly tailored and sharp enough to cut on sight. It has the desired effect of putting off Rogers with the added benefit of distracting Bucky.

Tony doesn’t miss the way Bucky watches him after all like he’s a piece of art to be coveted, and painstakingly ruined, as Tony would deserve.

Bucky, Tony realizes, has always looked at him that way since he came to the Compound, and if nothing else, the depth of Bucky's admiration has only deepened to something much less shallow than a passing infatuation.

He doesn't get much time to think about it, though. Not when Rogers scoffs about _the shows Tony's putting on,_ and purposely bland but challenging all the same, Rogers says, “Isn’t there a proper dress code for a lab, you know, for safety?” Like Rogers of all people would know; would care enough about Tony’s safety to bring it up at all.

Bucky’s teeth grind loud enough for even Tony to hear.

And Tony would be angry too, but Rogers has stopped being worth his anger a long time ago. His pettiness, however, _well_. That’s a different story.

With a smile of too many teeth, Tony says, “You’re absolutely right, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

On the next visit, Tony hears Bucky’s intake of breath before he actually sees him, and lingers a little longer in his position. You know, _for the full effect._ Tony's in pretty good shape, he'll have you know. And the booty shorts really _accentuate_ his _assets_.

“Tony,” Rogers is protesting, sounding scandalized which is when Tony finally turns around for the money shot, and _oh, it’s glorious._ Rogers is red in the face, practically turning puce when he reads what Tony’s vest says. Gleefully, Tony thinks Rogers’ brain is going to melt out of his ears from the sheer shock of it all.

Bucky, on the other hand, is experiencing some kind of system reboot because his face goes blank and his eyes go dark, and –

“Problem, darling?” Tony drawls with a faux Brooklyn twang.

“Not a bit,” is Bucky’s garbled reply before he’s urging a little softly, “Could you…uh, turn around again, I wanna..”

“Bucky,” Rogers hisses which succeeds far enough in getting Bucky’s gaze to clear and his cheeks to pink, and _oh, that’s adorable_ , Tony internally coos.

Aloud, Tony purrs, “Anything for you, Sarge.”

Which makes Rogers’ head swivel between Tony and Bucky like he’s on the verge of short circuiting, something that may actually happen when Bucky steps forward, sweeps Tony up in his arms and walks off, Bucky grumbling to him, "I was going to do this right, you know. I was going to ask you out. I was going to walk you to your room. We were gonna go steady."

"Babe, we're not kids anymore. We can skip right on to the good stuff," Tony teases.

Behind them, Rogers protests, "Bucky, why are you -"

Which is when Tony shoots Bucky a look, wiggles out of his vest, and flings it over Bucky's shoulder. The material catches Rogers right in the face. Tony figures the message on it is explanation enough: _because fuck you, that’s why._

**Author's Note:**

> For the picture of ["the outfit"](https://everything-withered.tumblr.com/post/624289252770971648/tony-in-this-and-bucky-just-bluescreens-i-would)
> 
> Also! I wrote my first actual D/S fic in the previous entry in the series called [Slow grenade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399354) so if you haven't read it yet, and you happen to like the trope, please let me know what you think! 
> 
> [As always](https://everything-withered.tumblr.com)


End file.
